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Washington Quarterly - Autumn 2005
Islam in America: separate but unequal
By Geneive Abdo
As the U.S. relationship with the Islamic world has reached unprecedented levels of hostility since the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration has focused its attention on winning the hearts and minds of Muslims abroad.
Yet, what about the six to seven million Muslims in the United States whose lives were dramatically altered by the September 11 attacks? Feelings of deep alienation have caused them to join the global protest movement against the United States, but instead of holding flag-burning rallies, Muslim Americans are taking a different course.
Muslims are becoming more organized and vocal in their demands, petitioning school boards to establish prayer rooms in public schools for their children, taking time off during the workday for prayers, and turning to the courts when they believe their constitutional rights to practice their religion have been violated. In this way, they are exercising their rights as Americans to enhance their identity as Muslims.
Geneive Abdo, fellow at the Joan B. Kroc Institute at the University of Notre Dame, is writing a book about Muslims in America.
http://www.twq.com/05autumn/docs/05autumn_abdo.pdf
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